One Last Roar
by Meteor Beat
Summary: Ryoga cannot take it anymore, and he's ready to finish his life, asking Ranma to help him but the results are not the one everyone expects. oneshot, pairings inside.


Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, all is thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for creating the characters; doyou think if I were the owner of it I will be writing this?

Alright, this is a 'little' one-shot of my own, I hope everyone likes it, and if you don't, I don't mind flames, well, enjoy...at least I think so.

ONE LAST ROAR

I don't think anybody is ready to make a decision like this, to see somethin' like this in front of your eyes, but I never thought that I would be in somethin' like this; I don't know but, I always thought that all the chaos in my life was normal, that in some kind of way it was fun.

Nothin' of this is funny, I cannot make fun of this, my mouth is dry from all of this, I never thought he was going to ask me this, to make this decision, but seein' his eyes, his body, is so painful; me, one who fought a half-god to save my fiancée, one who went everywhere defeatin' everyone, conquerin' every challenge, to be afraid of this of all things, shock is not enough to describe this; who would have thought that my mind would be this clear thinking about this things in a moment like this…maybe because I don't want to think of what is happenin' right now.

I thought this was going to be a day like always; wakin' up, spar with pops to show him I was still the best martial artist, take breakfast and go to school, fight Kuno and try to avoid Shampoo and Uchan, not really wanting to get into a date with them and things like that; not after I almost married with Akane; then, I came home after gettin' in the middle of the rain, goin' to the dojo to train a bit waitin' for the water to boil and go back to my body…but never is that simple, specially with me, it doesn't matter how much I try to think that in everything I do I have to be the best; but this? Please, I don't want to think about this, but there's not such luck; for first time I have to get into a decision.

He came here while I was in the middle of my kata; his usual red umbrella was shieldin' him of the cold rain, his yellow shirt seemed even more ragged than before, but at first I thought it was for somethin' else, like, that he was trainin' since the whole weddin'; boy, was I wrong.

"Hey, pigbo…" the words never came out of my mouth, seeing his eyes; from the beginning I knew something was bad; I mean, I know Ryoga is not someone who looks at the bright side of things, but he was always looking normal to all of us, but today, today his eyes were a mirror to his soul; it was so painful, I couldn't even stare for a complete second.

"…hello Ranma" Ryoga was so weird, almost like if it was an almost impossible thing to walk, to talk; to see a man that was capable of breaking boulders with his bare hands in this way was not something comforting.

"R…Ryoga? What's gotten into ya?" I said not really sure of what to do.

"I wanted to see you, I needed to…ask you for a favor" he said with a voice so cold, so…so lost, even for him.

"Ya? Askin' for a favor? Now that's weird, come on Ryoga, is the first time I see you for more than two months, at least say something else"

"Ranma, I'm not here for that, and if everything works, well, this will be the last time you'll see me" I couldn't what I was seeing, from his eyes, a line of tears were going down; it was not the first time I saw him cry, but never like this, it just seemed so wrong, so weird.

"Wh…what do ya mean? Ryoga, please, tell me what's going on!" his only answer was a small dagger that he took from his backpack, flying in the air before landing in the tatami floor at my feet "What does this mean?"

"Is easy" he said while a smile was forming in his lips, so sad, like realizing something about your life that you never thought you was going to understand "A way to end one of your troubles, forever; a way to end with something that was always annoying you, always trying to destroy your happiness" he said before going into his knees, looking at the ceiling, all his body was relaxed; that's when I realized, that this was not fun, that this was never have been fun.

-----

Ranma's eyes were wide open looking at the dagger at her feet, and a completely depressed Ryoga…it wasn't depression; anger and depression was something normal in his mind, but never it have been this strong, so powerful to make him do this.

She have been thinking in him, but not in this circumstances; she have always been wondering where the lost boy was now, if he was going to came back after all his wanderings; it was one of the few…no, it was the only constant in her life that was now not an annoying thing, something that didn't gave her a headache, like the constants attacks of Kuno and Mousse, or the way Ukyo or Shampoo were always trying to cling on his arms, or glomping him; Ryoga was now not trying to attack you, he was his friend, his only real friend in all the madness that was his life.

"Ryoga, are ya insane?"

"Insane? No, this is one of the few things I have been thinking to do that was not insane; this is the only way to end this, the only way to finally put an end to this whole hell!" he said screaming still on his knees; his tears were falling to the floor; this was not the Ryoga she knew, or thought she knew; was this whole pain real? All this time nobody saw the real Hibiki Ryoga?

"What do ya mean with that? Endin' your life is an answer to your troubles?" She said screaming to him too, in some kind of way it felt like the only way she could do, after all she have never been good with words.

"I see" he said narrowing his eyes before standing up once again, his sick-green battle aura appearing around him stronger than ever "Then I think there's only a way to end this; I thought you could help me, but I see I'm the only one who can do this" Ryoga said turning around getting out of the dojo while letting his usual heavy backpack in the floor; the rain was not triggering his curse, it didn't had a chance, his own battle aura was so hot that the water was evaporating so quick that didn't had a chance to wet him.

Ranma could only stare at the retreating figure of Ryoga wondering what he was going to do now; finally she resolved going after him, besides…the light he was creating with his energy was like a giant beacon; Akane was already out with Nabiki behind her looking at the figure of the lost boy kneeling down on the Tendo Dojo's garden, with the battle energy bigger than ever.

"Ranma, what's going on with Ryoga?" her voice was showing concern about one of what she thought were one of her few male friends.

"I…I don't know, he appeared in the dojo and then he gave me a dagger, then he kneeled and it was like askin' me to kill him; I said no, and I…tried to talk him out of that, but he just turned around and came here, with his energy around him"

"Then what are we supposed to do now? He doesn't look too good, it seems like he's ready to shoot one of his…what was the name? Shishi-Hokodan, and that will make some real troubles in this place" said the middle Tendo sister from inside the house.

"Yes, he is, but this is a new kind of attack from Ryoga" a voice from the roof came, and a small figure came down standing close to Ranma and Akane.

"Old ghoul? What are ya doin' here?" Ranma said looking at the small and old matriarch of the amazons of the village of Joketsuzoku in China, Ku Lon, or like they said in Japan, Cologne.

"When I first saw Ryoga passing in front of the restaurant I felt the strange aura around him, now I know what it is"

"Do you know something about this? What's going with Ryoga? Is he fine?" quickly said Akane to the amazon.

"To answer your questions in order, yes, I know about this, yes, I'll tell you in a moment, and sadly… no, he's not fine" she said looking at his former student that was radiating even more energy from his body, his eyes were foggy, looking at nothing "What he's doing is another form of the Shishi-Hokodan; but instead of the usual release of the energy, he's storing it inside of him"

"But that's crazy, one cannot hold so much power for so long…isn't it mummy?"

"Ranma, what he's trying to do, is his last attack…this will destroy his body when the energy he is storing fills his entire body to the point where he cannot take much more; usually Ryoga release the Shishi-Hokodan a couple of times everyday to stop this, but now he's taking the last step of this technique; you can call it, the Last Shishi-Hokodan" Cologne said with a whisper, never in her life she thought she would see something like this.

"Are…are you saying he's going to die from what he is doing?" Akane said screaming trying to see the body of Ryoga which was now engulfed in a blinding energy aura; the rain was falling stronger, like a storm; the drops of water impacting against the earth like small bombs, but they disappeared before falling on Ryoga, disappearing in steam due to the force of the chi.

"That's right child; that technique is inoffensive to the people around the user, but at the end, his whole body is going to disappear with the energy explosion"

"Are you sure about this? There's no way to help him? We cannot let him die like this!"

"I'm sorry, once it starts, no one can stop this; usually the user is so depressed that he doesn't listen to anything at his surrounding; from the scrolls about this technique, the user is so engulfed in his own memories, looking at them like clear crystal, but only people who have been driven to the worst of the experiences are the ones who does this" she said gripping her staff with more strength than the usual; it was clear that she was struggling to remain calm, but seeing one of the best martial artist in the world do the Last Shishi-Hokodan was something even the over 300 years old amazon was not ready to see in her life.

"Akane! Ranma! What's going on here? What's that…light? Saotome, I think we should move from here and quickly"

"I'm following you in this Tendo; Ranma! Let's get out of here!"

"Dad! How could you thing about something like that? Ryoga is trying to kill himself and the only thing you're thinking is run away? What kind of person are you?" Akane screamed at the verge of tears; the depressive energy was now flowing out in the air, affecting everyone in there, even Nabiki, which was looking at the bright energy ready to destroy someone which was like a…friend; Kasumi was too looking at the outside, small tears forming in her eyes, hearing the whole description of what was happening from Cologne; the former always happy sister-mother of the Tendo family was shocked to find the sweet boy she knew from every time he came from one of his travels trying to kill himself; she always knew that Ryoga was so full of anger, sadness and loneliness, but he was always fighting against it, trying to find happiness at the end of the road; but if this was any sign of it, he lost.

Ranma was another who was seeing all of this quiet, not really sure how to take everything; one of the people she knew better than anyone else, or that she thought she knew, was in front of her in the process of killing himself, to destroy himself, disappearing in any moment…forever…she will never see him again.

"Boy! What are you doing standing there? You heard Cologne, he's going to die, there's nothing we can do!" Her father was screaming from inside the house, not wanting to wet himself and turn into a panda, but Ranma didn't listened to him, she just took a step forward, and another.

Akane was still talking with Cologne, tears falling down with the rain, her hair sticking to the sides of her head, her clothes drenching, the same as the ones from Ranma, but she just was walking to the lost boy, in the middle of going inside the ball of energy; bolts of raw power striking her skin like electricity, the energy was pushing her away, but Ranma was steadily walking inside the blinding beacon of death.

"Ranma? Ranma!" Akane said looking at her fiancée walking inside the energy; in a rush she tried to go with the redhead, but Cologne quickly grabbed her arm.

"Listen child! We cannot do anything about this! Ranma is strong enough to resist the force of the attack, and it seems son in law has a plan" But Cologne was also worried about this reaction of Ranma.

Inside the attack, everything was white, with Ryoga on his knees on the also white earth, his arms limp at his sides, the head looking up, but were glazed-over, looking at the nothingness around him; it was surreal, thought Ranma looking at the image in front of her.

"What are you doing here Ranma? Is not safe" Ryoga was talking to her, his voice was so far away, like a ghost.

"Ryoga, are ya crazy? Why are ya doin' this? Ya have never been a coward to do things like this!" Ranma said, kneeling down in front of the lost-boy.

"A coward? No; I just have seen my life…do you know how it feels to know that nothing in your life makes you proud? I saw nothing in my mind to let me see that I have done something to make me feel proud, there's just…nothing…"

"What are ya talkin' about? Please, tell me that I have made your life hell or…or…Saotome Ranma, prepare to die! Somethin' like that Ryoga! Why don't ya say somethin' like that?" Ranma said holding the boy by his shoulders, and in that touch, the whole strength of his heavy chi got into her, a glimpse to his mind and memories.

Always getting lost, always people looking down at him, always saying things about him, always alone, just himself and the darkness of the world, never living with friends or family, not knowing if they were still alive; just his umbrella as a shield against the world, in the final spiral to the darkness that was his life, because…at the end…the world…is a dark…and lonely place.

Ranma felt her head burning from all those images and voices; she could see Ryoga's life, hear every voice that he have heard…feel the darkness inside of his heart, the loneliness of expending every day by yourself, every heart break, every stab on his heart and mind; it was too much for a person, even for Ranma and her usual adamant attitude of looking at the whole chaos in her own life; and yesterday she was thinking that she had it the worst.

"Do you know what it feels to wake up one day and not knowing what to do with your life? Where to go or what to do? That there's nothing to do besides staying in the ground? Nowhere to go to feel safe? To feel that your life was and IS completely useless? To think that no one will miss you if someday you just banish? That there won't be any change in how they live? That no one will shed a tear for you when that happens? That everyone will just forget you? That the only people that talk with you is because they are trying to use you as a stupid tool that they will get rid of at the end? Have you?" In that moment a strange smile appeared in his lips, like looking at the irony of the situation.

"Of course not; you're Ranma Saotome, I forgot about that; you're the one who at the end will always win, that will get what he wants, that at the end everything will be perfect for him, that never feels alone or humiliated, never a shadow or a simple tool, the person who will never be forgotten" Ryoga said closing his eyes, while the tears were falling down, his body slowly disappearing in the light, ready to do the last attack in his life, to finish with all of this.

Ranma was crying, the impact of the images and feelings were too much for her to remain calm, it was like a huge bomb falling in her brain, in her heart, letting everything free, all the guilt, the pain; of everything she thought she needed to do to Ryoga and everyone else to feel stronger than anyone else, the best of them all, even if to do that she needed to do everything a real martial artist avoided; cheating, stealing, deceiving.

Something in the energy was making Ranma's own energy to react too; not to fight it, but joining it, mixing the blue and the green auras, creating a strange link, a bridge between both hearts, joining both energies in the huge light that was growing in the Tendo yard.

"No…no…Ryoga!" her own tears were joining the ones of Ryoga "Don't do this! Please! Don't even try to leave me here!" she didn't cared if she was saying those words, or what really was the meaning, she just knew that those words were real.

From outside the energy of the last Shishi-Hokodan, all the members of the Tendo family, Genma and Cologne, were looking at the orb where the two 'boys' were, one of them at the verge of death.

"How much time is this going to take to see what happens?" Soun was asking from inside the house.

"In any moment, I don't think Ryoga should be able to resist more energy" answered the old matriarch still under the rain, after all, it was just water, what was important for her was to see the ending of this whole trouble.

And finally, the green ball of light expanded for a second taking a bluish coloration, mixing with the original green color, before it created a bright pillar of energy, exploding with an incredible strength, sending everyone backwards except Cologne; but that was all; no destruction or scream, it was silence, even the rain disappeared while the pillar of energy went flying upwards, to finally disperse in the air; no injuries, just one heck of a surprise.

"Well, that was something else, never in my life I have seen something like that" Cologne said getting closer to the epicenter of the energy; in it was Ranma, her hair falling over her eyes, the rain water was now gone, the attack was hot enough to dry her clothes… but in her arms was what it seemed an unconscious Ryoga, his head on her shoulder, and her arms holding him around; his clothes ragged from the energy and the travels.

"Are…are both alive?" Akane was still shocked from this whole show.

"It seems so my child" Cologne said getting at one side of Ranma "Hey, son in law, can you hear me? Can you stand up?"

"I…think so" Was what she said before between her, Akane and Soun, took Ryoga upstairs to rest from the impact of the last Shishi-Hokodan on him.

-----

"So, how is he?"

"Besides the obvious exhaustion in his body, there's nothing wrong in him; at least not physically; what worries me more is his mind, after all, going to the point where he could end with his life is not something small; it was good for you to call me, I hope I could have arrived earlier; by the way, where's Kasumi?"

"Oh, she went with Nabiki to the drug store for some medicines; thanks for coming so quickly Dr. Tofu" The father of the three sisters, Tendo Soun, bowed down to the good doctor after this one gave him the information his daughters were wanting to hear; even if Nabiki wasn't the must expressive one of the family he was sure she was also worried about Ryoga, in fact everyone was; the strange aura of the lost boy was a show of pure depression and everyone was capable of feeling a part of it, but the one who took it worst was Ranma since she was in the center of it.

Ryoga was breathing, it was not because he was making a sound, he was utterly quiet, but his chest rising and falling was a clear signal of it, at least it was to Ranma, who was sitting against one of the walls of the room; Genma said that he was going to sleep tonight with Ranma's mother, Nodoka, and that Ryoga could stay in the room they were sleeping in the Tendo's house, and incredible, no one said something against it.

Since they helped her to bring Ryoga upstairs, she haven't spoken a word, sitting all the time against the wall, with Ryoga in the middle, sleeping in the futon, and the door at the other side; images from the whole Last Shishi-Hokodan were still present on her mind; the same as Ryoga's memories; she never thought that a man could bear so much things and still be able to smile; maybe that's why he was always falling in her traps, like when she dressed-up and told him she was his fiancée, or the time she made him believe that she was his fan, and there were more things on the list.

Ranma couldn't believe why he trusted on her after the wedding, calling off the grudge against her, the whole vendetta, which now she understood that it was something he made up, after all she was the only thing that was a constant on his life, that after all, he needed something to make him go straight ahead on the road, something to give him hope, but time after time Ranma, at least unconsciously, was destroying that hope, and she didn't felt really good with herself now; fighting against her, talking with her, now she understood that they were so similar, but they never understood; it was necessary that one of both tried to kill himself to finally realize that; but that was not the thing that was the most important thing on her mind right now.

"Ranma? How is he?" The door opened up, showing Akane in the hall, quietly going inside the room closing the door behind her, and after circling Ryoga, seated down at one side of Ranma.

"He's stable, he's just completely tired, that's why he passed out, but Dr. Tofu says he'll need to talk with Ryoga about the whole thing of him tryin' to commit… commit…"

"Suicide?" Akane asked, looking at how the redhead had troubles to say the word, nodding without uttering a word to the question "and what about you?"

"I'm fine Akane"

"You're lying, you have never been good with that; now, what happened inside the light?"

"I…I'm not sure; I touched Ryoga, and then, I got his memories, I could see them like if they were mine…I could feel what was inside of Ryoga, and I have never felt like that…now I know why he was capable of doing the Shishi-Hokodan so easily"

"What do you mean with that, son in law?" The voice of Cologne came from the door, and the light outside came too inside the dark room; the elder simply walked to the place where Ranma and Akane where "now, if you are so kind to explain me entirely what happened inside the Last Shishi-Hokodan, what you did to save Ryoga?"

"I think I…I mixed my chi with his' at the last second, and then, and then I let it go, all of it, the heavy chi and mine, in the full Shishi-Hokodan, but I still don't know how I did that, how I knew how to do the full Shishi-Hokodan?" Ranma's brows were knitted thinking, trying to remember what exactly happened.

"And now Ranma? Are you still capable of seeing Ryoga's memories?" Cologne asked a little more forcefully, she needed to now about this if she wanted to see if her hypothesis was right.

"I…yes…I still can see it…I even know things I didn't knew before like…like how to do the Bakusai Tenketsu, and how to use the iron cloth technique, but I don't understand how…why I have this in my mind?" Ranma asked hugging her knees against her body; Cologne sighed, it was a long one; Akane seemed confused about what was going on.

"Wait, how is that possible? It doesn't have sense"

"Akane, it is possible, after all, Ranma and Ryoga are now linked" she said calm, now that her suppositions were right.

"Is that bad?"

"Oh, well, no, after all it was maybe the only way to save his life; even if we are not the closest people, Ryoga is an important person in all of our lives, even if he didn't realized…or we didn't too, that was one of the reasons he felt like that; what you received from the link will stay with you, and what you learned will stay too with Ryoga, is like sharing the memories and abilities with the other person; in this case, when Ranma joined his energy with Ryoga, he created the link to be able to mix them in a full Shishi-Hokodan, it was unconscious, I don't think Ranma had any idea of how to do it; it just happened"

"I see; at least both of you are alright, for a moment I thought I was going to lose both of you" Akane said, but Ranma was still hugging her knees, even more deep on her mind than a minute ago "Did I said something wrong?"

"Child, there's something you must know about the link" Akane nodded, signaling to Cologne that she had hr full attention "You see, the link is not only mental, is emotional too; if it was only with the memories, Ryoga would not had survived to the Shishi-Hokodan, but Ranma's heart linked with Ryoga's"

"What? What does that mean? Ranma?"

"Akane, I know what is Ryoga feelin' in this moment if I concentrate on him, is like readin' on his heart and mind, is so weird, of course, right now he's sleepin' and there's nothing coherent, but I can feel the sadness on him; he wanted to die, there was so much darkness inside of him that he just couldn't bear it anymore; he felt so lonely; I swear ya Akane, not even me would have been able to hold it so much before breaking; Ryoga is even stronger in his heart than me, and in the same time is so fragile, but today, it was the only way to end with the darkness in his opinion"

"Ranma…if what Cologne said was true, then he received your memories and emotions as well, which means he won't do this again, don't worry, he will be fine; I'll get you hot water to change" she said before standing up thinking about going downstairs, but a hand got her skirt; seeing downstairs she saw that the hand was the one of Ranma "what happen?"

"Akane…I don't want the hot water; this is just too strange now, and I'm afraid…"

"Afraid? Ranma…don't tell me that the link is complete…" Cologne said with her eyes widened, and it was quite a bizarre thing, seeing that she was over three hundred years, she was shocked, which was quite an accomplishment considering her age.

Ranma slowly nodded, like if what she was doing was too painful; revealing something so serious to someone else was always difficult to her; to say, or to do things that were on her heart to other people, it was always so difficult, and this was not the exception.

Cologne sighed looking at the confession of Ranma, she was not really prepared for that after all; maybe it was destiny? Cologne almost laughed at that idea; no, this was something not even the gods would have seen happening, who would have thought that it was going to be in this way.

"I see Ranma, if you and Ryoga need help with understanding better this situation, you can go to the Nekohanten to talk with me, but only if you two want to hear it, I'll go now, try to rest Ranma, I'll see you later, good night to you too Tendo Akane" the matriarch turned around with a strange smile on her wrinkled face, like if she had discovered a lost invaluable book after decades; but Akane was not like this, she was confused to a point where she could only get answers or a mallet was going to appear on her hands.

"Okay Ranma, what's going on?" Ranma flinched slightly hearing that question "You are the first one to say that you're not scared of nothing, except cats, but what it means all this?"

"Akane, I…I don't want to change to a boy right now…even now, is so…so strange to feel this…and to like it, to accept it, like if it were somethin' normal, even if is scary, it feels so good; I feel…complete, but at the same time it hurts, because I know this is somethin' I'm not supposed to feel, I'm not like this, I don't want this, but I don't want to stop feelin' it! What if I change to a guy and I lose this? I will feel empty, and in the same time I don't want to change into a guy and know that this doesn't go away! That it doesn't matter if I'm a girl or a boy, that I will feel the same! That's scary too!" Ranma said and said, looking at her hands and then to Ryoga, and vice versa.

"Ranma; what are you saying? I don't understand, Ranma, what's really happening? What you feel?" Ranma only turned to see her fiancée, her whole world was being turned upside down, tears were forming again in her eyes, she seemed so vulnerable now, like if any small rock or word would break her; usually there was a barb wire around her heart and feelings, like a shield, not allowing anyone except few times that were even more weird.

"Akane…I…please don't hate me…don't hate Ryoga, but…I…the link that Cologne was sayin'…it…it mixes our hearts too, not just our memories…do you know what that means?" Akane just shocked her head saying no with the motion, nothing of this was making sense, what was Ranma trying to say? "This is just so weird, every emotion between Ryoga and me was, was, I don't know, I think that it multi…multe…"

"Multiplied?"

"Yes, and…I suppose he will see that when he wakes up; this thing is a bridge between he and me…Akane…usually Ryoga hated me, but that changed after our fights, and times when we used to do things together; at the end, we were friends, even if we both were too proud to say that aloud; but the… link…I think it made the emotions grow even more…to a point where it got into something else… Akane, I'm so sorry but…but…I think I'm…I'm in love with him" she said before going into tears; it was incredible how much of Ryoga was affecting her now; the usual barbed wired heart was now open, at her hands, so anyone could see it.

-----

It was strange to him, to see the sun appearing at the horizon, seeing how a new day was starting; not that it was something new, but must of his time he was expending his time brooding, or feeling miserable about his life, that to see something like this with his heart finally calm, was, well, really weird; inside of him, there was not the usual feeling of depression, but there was something else too, and he didn't knew how to handle it.

Ryoga woke up earlier than anyone in the house, well, maybe with the exception of Kasumi, which he said good morning and reassured her that he was fine, that he was only going to the rooftop to see the dawn; but before that, he made sure of trying not to wake up anyone else; he didn't needed the extra attention.

But he never had good luck, and he picked up the sound of someone trying to get up into the rooftop.

"Good morning Akane-san" he said without looking back.

"Ah, good morning Ryoga" she said seating down at his side; it was obvious in her voice what she was thinking.

"So, why are you up so early? This is not a day of school, and you never wake up this early in the morning" he said, his face was still serious, and surprise, he was not stuttering, or laughing nervous with the girl he tough he was in love with a time ago.

"I think I…I needed to think…yesterday…Cologne said…" Akane was not really sure how to talk about this with him; not so long ago she was capable of telling everything to Ryoga.

"The link?" Ryoga asked, surprising Akane; he smiled softly without looking at her expression "Yes, I can see Ranma's memories, I just need to concentrate in he…him…It freaks me out too; tell me Akane-san…what do you think of me now?"

"I…I don't know…I suppose that in any other situation I would have exploded…but…I cannot blame you or Ranma, not after seeing the…that thing…that attack; I want to think that…that this is not true…that you did it on purpose…but then I remember how sad you were looking kneeled in the yard…I…well…"

"You know Akane-san" Ryoga said, feeling quickly the awkward silence "I have never felt this calm in so many years…I think Ranma's over-confidence got reduced by my…pessimism, taking them to a balance, not that I complain, but I never thought I was going to be like this, not in this circumstances…Looking at yesterday with this new perspective, I cannot believe I was going to end my life; how stupid I was"

"Ryoga, I know I'm not the best to talk about this things, but what Ranma and Cologne said, you was taking to much damage, and to make Ranma say that you are stronger than him in that is not a small thing…I'm still mad with you about trying to do that, but I'm happy too knowing that you are alive" she answered smiling widely to him; any other day it would have made Ryoga blush and stutter, but today no, his heart was aiming in other direction, even if he wanted or not.

"Akane-san, thanks, but…I think I made the worst thing to you, even if I didn't knew about that at the moment…I think Cologne or Ranma had told you yesterday, but this link is so strong…I…"

"Don't worry Ryoga, I know" Akane simply said before turning around, ready to go downstairs.

"Wait! How can you be so calm about this thing? Do you really understand what's going on?" Ryoga asked, now really confused about her demeanor.

"Of course I know silly…you…you…" she tried to say but was blushing and the words didn't wanted to fell out of her mouth "Oh, to hell with it, I know you two love each other now, and even if I wanted to do something, is not possible to destroy that link, at least that's what I think…after all, Ranma is not the only boy…or girl…in the planet, is he? I just want you two to be happy" she said shrugging her shoulders while giving Ryoga a soft smile, leaving him dumbfounded in the rooftop.

-----

"So, where are ya goin'?" the feminine voice came from the rooftop when he was getting out of the genkan, trying to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"I didn't knew you were awake" Ryoga simply said turning around, looking up, his eyes locking up with a petite redheaded girl with Chinese clothes.

"Neither me, I thought ya was still asleep yesterday's fireworks" she said getting down, jumping in front of him; this whole situation was bizarre for them "I felt that ya was here…is so weird…to feel your mind and to know where ya are"

"Yeah, I know, that's why I need to go"

"To go? Are ya crazy? Not after everythin' that happened last night…you were planning in running away from all this?"

"Well, after everything, it was not precisely a wise thing to remain around here, not…feeling like this"

"…I now what you're saying…"

"Why are you still as a girl? Don't take it wrong, is just that, I thought that you was going to change back once you wake up"

"Ya damn well know why I don't want to change…I just don't know how to react…do you remember the whole problem with the koi rod?" Ryoga chuckled at the memory.

"How can't I? But this is something completely different…that time was an accident, you don't need to stay like this"

"But I want too, at least until I understand that this is what I really want, and ya know? This just feels so good, so right, like it should always be like this"

"Ranma, you're scaring me"

"Stuff it Ryoga; ya feel the same way, that's why ya're trying to get away, to see if this is just goin' to disappear if you get away on the road; but is not goin' to work that way, this link doesn't works like that"

"Don't you want to get out of it? I know this is not what you wished for; this is not right for you! You're supposed to love Akane, not me! I cannot let you be like this, trapped in something you never wanted; not you Ranma, you don't deserve something like this"

"Ever the gentleman, even when something like this happens to you, a beautiful girl confessing her love for you, you are trying to help her saying that she's delusional and he's not worthy of it" Ryoga rolled his eyes at the…modesty of Ranma talking about herself "don't you understand? This is scary, I admit that…but I like it" Ranma said with a huge smile on her face.

"What? Are you cra…" Taking advantage of the confused and shocked Ryoga, she took him and gave him a kiss, joining her lips with his'; even if her inside was screaming to stop doing that, her heart and a part of her brain was telling her to go on with it; for someone who knew Ranma, this must have seen like something completely out of the world; Saotome Ranma, man amongst men, was kissing a guy, and she was liking it…but that person was gone, at least it seemed.

Once they separated to take air, both of them were still embarrassed about that display, after all Ryoga never struggled against it, joining in the…battle…too once he knew that this was something real.

"You know, this is so damn weird" Ryoga said, not sure if to smile or run away from there.

"What? The part about me kissing you? Or the part about both of us liking it?"

"Well…both…damn link…what, I don't have secrets now?"

"Don't be an idiot; is not like if I can read your mind, I can see some things, like seeing how you feel; a moment ago you was confused and scared, but now you are confused and happy, not that I don't mind"

"Oh, good, I think so…well, if you want to now I have been talking with Akane about this, or better said, she talked with me" He said not really paying attention how close they were to each other.

"What? You talked with Akane and ya're still alive? No injuries or something like that, ya're complete"

"Come on Ranma, Akane is not that bad; she…she told me that she wanted us to be happy"

"Akane said that? And she didn't explode?"

"No, in fact, she was rather calm, she said that you was not the only boy, or girl in the planet, that's what she said"

"Men, I don't know if to feel happy about it, or hurt about she dumpin' me that easy" she said making a face.

"Jeez, calm down, I see your ego is still as big as always, Ranma-chan" Ryoga said making a fang-toothed grin.

"You have something against it pig-boy?" Ranma answered with a playful smile; for first time in her life, something seemed incredibly correct, like this was something that needed to last forever.

-----

Kasumi closed the front door with utter care, not wanting to disturb the pair outside the house; she was smiling more than usual after what she saw, not that it was on purpose; she was going to tell Ryoga to wait up to take breakfast, but before she could said something Ranma beat her in that; for what Akane told her yesterday and what she saw and heard today, things were going to change rather drastically in the house.

To start with things, maybe Father and Saotome-san were not going to take the news well, knowing how they used to overreact, both Ranma and Ryoga were going to have some hard time; Nodoka's reaction to the news was going to be a surprise to everyone, except Kasumi, after all she was so happy to finally find his son, that Kasumi knew that the older woman was not going to mind if instead of a son she will have a daughter, she was going to have grandchildren anyway.

Akane's reaction was a pleasant surprise after all; it seemed that the youngest Tendo sister finally learned to restrain her usual volatile mood; Ryoga and Ranma were going to have a great friend and ally in their future; and Nabiki, well, she was going to take the news, and take some gaining in it, just like always.

And with the rest of Nerima…at that point, Kasumi's cheerful look went to a one of mid shock, taking a hand to her mouth "Oh my" was everything she said, knowing that the martial artist population of Nerima were not going to take the news well; now that things were finally settling down a bit; once again it seemed that chaos was coming back t town; but Kasumi just smiled, knowing that they were going to get out of any problem; with that on mind she decided to call everyone, after all it was time for breakfast, and maybe everyone was going to know about them sooner or later.

**And there it is, the ending of the story; I know, is rather open at the end, but that's the whole thing about ranma 1/2, there's no real ending to it; you know, I'm tempted to write another one-shot with this story-line, it could be fun to see everyones reaction to the link between Ryoga and Ranma; and if everyone wants to write something about this you have full power to do it, in fact I will love to see it, well, let's see each other in my next story...and if you can, review, I love reviews!**

**Trowamaster. **


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